The Catalog of Good Deeds

ORTHODOXY AS KNOWLEDGE OF LOVE

God came to the earth for the sinners. The people who had lived on this earth — pagans who had worshipped idols and had not known the true light, could finally see it, and, getting to know God, ultimately fell in love with Him.

Christ established the Church on earth. It is a place where one leaves the temporary world and proceeds to the eternity. The Church is the Last Supper that the Lord had before his suffering on the Cross, and that He celebrates every day as He calls the faithful to his wedding feast. People come to the Church, crippled and disfigured by sin though they are. The Lord washes, sanctifies, and cleanses their souls with His Love, and people start to see, hear, and love God in their midst. The holiness that God gives empowers one to struggle with the whole world, with the devil, with sin — that terrible disease of the humankind that fell out of the unity with God. We all are ill but we have the Great Doctor who treats us. His treatment is holiness, and He pours it on us abundantly, entrusting us with His own Body and Blood, with Himself. As He tries to break us loose from sin, from all temporary and transitory things, as He shows us the Heaven, God helps us to come to Him now, in this life. The Lord humbles down before us to save us. He humbles before the sinful, the proud, the ungrateful people that we are. He does not argue with us, He does not condemn us, but instead patiently waits for us to come around. He has to wait for a very long time. However, when a person responds to God's love with love, the person starts to resemble God.

St John the Theologian

What is Orthodoxy? Come and see (John 1:46), as we read in the Bible. In Orthodoxy, God is so close that He is united with human. The purpose of an Orthodox person's life is theosis, holiness, sanctification of her life, not temporary comforts and material assets but the eternity. Only Love will continue into the eternity; knowledge and prophecies will be ceased (Cf. 1 Cor.13:8). So Orthodoxy is the knowledge of Love, it is the Love that lives inside human beings. Apostle John the Theologian says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”(Cf. John 13:35). It is impossible to love in this world without God. The human that hid from God in the paradise, must approach God and sanctify herself with the Light of Love that Christ brought to the earth. The Lord gives this love abundantly in the Orthodox Church. Everything that we see in a church: the church itself, the worship — everything is a revelation of the life to come, a revelation that is hard for us to comprehend because we are deafened by the world, our reason is blurred, and our hearts are anxious.

The Lord takes us onto His shoulders, carries us into the Church, washes, cleanses, and feeds to us His Body and Blood from a spoon. When we receive the Holy Sacraments, we start to perceive (albeit for a short moment) our neighbor, ourselves, our lives, and realize the Holy Divine Providence behind all that.

Love is hard to preserve. We suffer from many sinful illnesses but we believe that God triumphs over sin. We are now in the Church that fights with the sinful world and the devil, and if we remain within its ranks, we will go on to become part of the Triumphant Church.

Scene from Last Supper: Christ and St.John the Theologian

When we want to tell someone about Orthodoxy, it is very difficult for us to talk about it. Why is it so? It is because Orthodoxy is to be seen.We realize that if God dwells inside us, if the grace of the Holy Spirit is present within us, words are unnecessary. The life and the image of a person who found the Love of Christ will be a testimony of God's victory and God's truth. We do not know what our way in this world will be like but when we enter the church; we must keep that grace that we receive from God and from His Holy Church. Let us thank God for His love towards us and ask Him to reveal to us the truths that we should always bear in mind: that God is always near; He loves us and never abandons us; He forgives us and is waiting for us.

Archpriest Andrew Lemeshonok

November 11, 2014

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The sisters of Saint Elisabeth Convent have been rendering spiritual, social and financial assistance to the sick and the suffering, who stay at the National Psychiatric Clinic, the boarding home for children with special needs, the boarding home for mentally challenged adults, the rehabilitation center for mentally challenged children, the municipal hospital No.2, and a TB clinic for more than fifteen years.

There are over 2,000 patients in the 37 units of the National Psychiatric Clinic. Our sisters regularly visit these hospital units acknowledging the importance of giving these people spiritual support and consolation.

There are 125 young patients in the boarding home for children with special needs who require constant care. Our Sisterhood helps them with medicines, hygiene kits, wheelchairs, computers and foodstuffs. Our sisters make embroidery and handicrafts, draw pictures together with the children and takes care of bedridden patients.

There is a charity shelter founded on the farmstead of the Convent for people who were led astray by the rough and tumble of life (the homeless, drug or alcohol addicts, ex-prisoners and the less able). Over 170 residents live here today. The Sisterhood itself provides the needy with comprehensive help: accommodation, meals and necessary medicines, arranges medical examinations for them, helps to reinstate their identification papers. Rehabilitation through labor at the farmstead consists of agricultural work in the fields, greenhouses and gardens, at a cattle and poultry farm as well as at construction sites and crafts workshops.

A female rehabilitation facility was established in 2012. Women released from jail, the homeless and the mentally challenged women stay there. The authorities allocated a plot of land (formerly a military base with only rundown houses remaining) for our Sisterhood ten miles from Minsk. Today there are 20 women and one toddler at this farmstead. They perform various tasks depending on the strength and ability of each woman: they work in the kitchen, in the field, take care of domestic animals and make handicrafts.

Today you can become part of the ministry. With every purchase that you make through the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent website you can help hundreds of less fortunate.

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Order Icons of the Holy Martyrs

The Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love were born in Italy. Their mother, Saint Sofia, was a widow and pious Christian. She called her daughters in honor of the three Christian virtues, Sofia brought up them to love the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Sophia and her daughters did not conceal their faith in Christ and opening confessed their faith. A vicar named Antioch, informed Emperor Hadrian( 117-138 ) about the pious women, who in turn ordered to bring them to Rome.

Understanding why they were being lead to the emperor, the holy virgins prayed fervently to the Lord Jesus Christ, asking him to give them strength to withstand the inevitable suffering and death. When the holy maidens along with their mother, appeared before the emperor, all those present were astonished to see them so calm and at peace: it almost seemed as if they were invited to a marvelous feast, rather than torture. The Emperor began to call the sister one by one and urged them to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemida.

On their way to Martydom

The young maidens (Faith was 12, Hope - 10 and Love - 9 years) remained unwavering in their faith. Then, the emperor ordered to brutally torture them. The holy maidens were burned on an iron grate, thrown into a fiery furnace and into a cauldron of boiling tar, yet the Lord invisibly keep them safe. The youngest daughter, Love, was tied to a wheel and beaten with sticks until her body was covered entirely with wounds. While enduring such unprecedented torments, the holy virgins glorified their Heavenly Bridegroom and remained firm in their faith.

Meanwhile, Saint Sophia was subjected to an even worse type of torture as she was forced to watch the suffering of her three daughters. However, she showed extraordinary courage and continuously urged the girls to withstand the torture in the name of their heavenly Bridegroom. All three girls happily greeted their martyrdom as they were beheaded.

To prolong the suffering of St. Sophia, the Emperor allowed her to take the bodies of her daughters. Sofia put the remains into an ark, and held a chariot procession to the outskirts of the city where she buried them. Saint Sofia stayed at the grave of her daughters for three days and after those days had passed she peacefully passed away, giving her soul to the Lord. Other faithful Christians buried here there as well. Since the year 777, the relics of the Holy Martyrs remain in Alsace, France in the Church in Eschen.

Relics of the Holy Martyrs

An Icon is not just a painting with a religious meaning but rather a sacred image, which ascends to the Archetype; it is a window into a different, spiritual world.

The technique of writing an icon (icons are “written” not painted) originated from ancient times and must follow strict guidelines and requirements referred to as cannons. Along with writing the icon there are preparatory stages such as preparation of the wooden board, paints, the techniques of writing the icon and the fact that the icon must be similar if not identical to the icon samples from which one creates a new image

Traditionally, icons are written on a well-dried wooden board, which is prepared using a special method. First, several layers of glue are applied on the board, and then the canvas is glued on top of the board. The most common type of canvas attached is made out of linen cloth and serves as a joining agent between the gesso and the surface.

The next step is the application of the gesso. Gesso is a white paint mixture consisting of a binder mixed with chalk, glue, and oil varnish. Sometimes instead of the oil, varnish honey is added. The gesso is applied which about 5-6 layers. It is important to have the surface fully dried after the application of each additional layer. Afterwards the surface needs to be polished and the areas where the gold leaf is to be applied must be extra smooth.

Once the board is ready, the drawing can be outlined on it. In most cases, iconographers use thin paper on which the image is already depicted to trace it unto the board. The more experienced iconographers will paint directly on the gesso.

After the image has been drawn on the wooden board, the gold leaf is applied unto the icon which by now is covered with either water or oil varnish. This step requires diligence and attention to detail. Usually the gold leaf is applied to the halo and the background of the icon.

Icons are not written with standard paints and iconographers must prepare the paints themselves. The paints consist of pigments - well ground minerals and a binding agent in the form of egg yolk. This mixture is combined with a liquid mixture using a 1:4 ration. The liquid mixture is usually beer of water with vinegar. The result must resemble a more liquid form of sour cream.

The colors are applied with a thin layer as the space on the icon must be able to “breathe”. Both large and small round paintbrushes are used in the process. Because every color has is significant in its symbolic meaning it is important for the colors to be clear and easy to identify.

The first aspects of the icon that are written includes clothing, buildings and background architecture as well as landscapes and everything else with the exception of the faces, hands and feet on the image. The technique requires a gradual brightening of the image, usually in about three steps. Each crease on the clothing of saints as well as the brightened colors imply transfiguration and immateriality of the fabric. The clothing symbolizes the good deeds of the saints and the return to God’s grace from sin.

The next step involves writing the faces, hands and feet on the image and is similar to the previous step but will require more layers and time. Finally, the image need to be drawn-through with cinnabar (red paint) and whitened to improve the sharpness and clarity of the image.

Assist is applied towards the end of the icon painting process. Assist is a thin golden drawing that is found on the clothing of Christ, Mother of God, and some of the saints, which signifies the Divinity in their essence.

Inscriptions and outlines are also very important in the creation of the icon. These two aspects are the final pieces to the puzzle. Only after the inscription is added to the image can it be referred to as an icon.

Then the icon need to be covered with oil varnish and polish. It is a very important step in the process and the icon needs to have fully dried by the time this part begins. Finally, the last step is the blessing of the icon. It is best to keep an icon in a wooden case (kiot) covered with glass. This will guarantee protection from various outside and environmental factors such as dust, smoke, humidity and temperature changes that can in one way or another damage the sacred image.

Article written by Daria Chechko

Icons from the Icon Painting Studio of St.Elisabeth Convent

Who can sing in English in our Convent? What is special about liturgical music in English? I asked some of the people who took part in the recording of Mystical Supper — the first CD album of the chants of the Divine Liturgy in English — to shed light on these issues.

Part One. An interview with Nun Maria. on the English Language and the Language of the Liturgy

Nun Maria, what does the Liturgy mean to you?

Liturgy is life. We are renewed by the Liturgy and we are revived through communion. When we take communion, all our divisions and strifes cease, the walls between us and God and between us and other people fall into pieces. The Blood of Christ renews us, and we all become one.

The Mystical Supper CD album is a recording of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. St John said some very beautiful words about the Liturgy, "There isn't anything that exalts one's soul, gives it wings, lets it soar above the ground, releases it from dark chains, delivers a philosophy, or helps to achieve total contempt for earthly cares better than harmonious singing and guidance by the text of the Divine chants."

Yes, the value of choir singing lies in catholicity, in unity. Where there is unity, there is God. Of course, technically you can sing the Liturgy alone, on your own, but this is hard to compare. The sound of a choir, when people sing together and try to tune in to each other, is much better. It can be difficult at times because we all are different and each one of us is in a different spiritual state. However, we should exert ourselves to "synchronise" with each other, to seize that unity. It makes us closer to God and to each other. Unity with God and with each other is the purpose of the Liturgy.

Could you please tell about those who directly participated in the project?

The singers who took part in this project had not come from a certain choir of our Convent. The main selection criterion for them was, naturally, their proficiency in English. There were two sisters from the Monastic Choir, four brothers from the Festive Choir, Anton — a singer from the Male Choir, and Tatiana and Olga — one of them sings in the boarding home for children, and the other sings in other Minsk churches. Plus, Alexandra and Margaret — two MSLU undergraduates who sang in the student choir of that university — also participated in our choir.

Two of us knew practically no English — I mean Brother Konstantin and Nun Tatiana. Industrious people, they wrote Russian translations above the English texts in order to follow what we were singing. We all had to do a crash course in phonetics to level the variations.

Did you have any difficulties with translation?

We did not have to translate anything. The difficult part was in choosing one out of the many translations that exist. Since we sing in Church Slavonic, rather than Russian, in our church, we decided to choose a translation that would not sound too modern, a translation that uses…

The Shakespearean English?

No, not the language of Shakespeare, but a translation that uses some archaic and outdated words.

How did this idea come about? Why did people in a Belarusian Orthodox convent suddenly decide that they were to record church chants in English?

When we introduced our music CDs in Britain, people were asking, "Are they in English?" When we said that no, they aren't, we could spot the slight disappointment on the people's faces.

How did you choose the name for the album? Why not call it simply The Liturgy?

We tried to find a poetic name, which would sound equally good in Russian and in English, and be easily understood by all English speakers, be they Orthodox or Catholics or Protestants.

One of the chants has the following words, “Of Thy Mystical Supper, O Lord, may I today partake…” There is a tradition in some Orthodox parishes in Great Britain to sing this prayer during the communion, instead of the “Receive Ye the Body of Christ…” This is where the name of our album came from.

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The Mystical Supper

Part Two. An interview with Konstantin Karmanov, the head of the audio studio of St Elisabeth Convent. On rehearsals, mutual aid, MIDI tracks, and other technicalities of creative process

How long did it take to release this album?

We did the first recording in 2010. A lot changed during this time: we changed mikes and some members of the choir… At times, I was beginning to think that this project would never end. It was when we were choosing the best takes during the editing stage that we felt we'd made it, in spite of all obstacles.

What were your rehearsals like?

By the time we could manage it for a rehearsal, we all were tired, having spent an entire day at work. Apart from that, I had to learn English. However, I saw how passionate everyone was to sing, to create, to be involved in our work, and this gave me strength.

Sure, it is hard to sing using manuscripts: some want to write down their own transliteration of the texts or make notes but there is no place in the music sheets to do that. This is why I decided to type this sheet music using a computer. In addition, we got MIDI tracks, which one could play and learn their parts independently. Not everyone needed them but some of us did. It was like a crash course in music for people whose main profession was not related to it. Naturally, we musicians explained all nuances and details – the things that every musician must know by default — to them as if they were kids. It sounded new and interesting to them. For us, professional musicians, this is a routine not unlike breakfast, lunch, and dinner; for translators and interpreters singing was like a real feast. The linguists, for instance, would change some words in the text because we could not always follow the written text to a tee. This exchange of knowledge during the rehearsals produced a unique experience.

We would record even in summer. Even though our linguists had exams and were getting ready for various contests, they still found time to come and sing with us. It was like: we gather for a recording session, and there is a thunderstorm outdoors. We would sing one take, wait for a thunderclap to pass, and then sing another one. You know, the proverb goes that there is no bad weather.

Some professionals visited us during our rehearsals and recording sessions. One of them was Nigel Rose, an Englishman. He is a choir director in his home country. Nigel listened to our singing and remarked that they never sang like this, that the way we sang was unprecedented.

Our first rehearsals made it evident that our singing was too amateurish. We made painfully slow progress: we had to gather seven or eight times in order to record just two chants. Nevertheless, recording sessions, or, more precisely, their inevitability, were the best motivation for all of us. As soon as I felt that it was time to do the recording, I would say, “Okay, let’s record it!” We met for recording sessions in the evenings: we would gather at around seven o’clock in the evening and warm up for the recording, which would go on until eleven, and sometimes even later. We liked to sing together.

What makes the Mystical Supper album so unique?

This album is unique because of the incredible creative approach and fresh treatment of familiar chants in a new and beautiful language. Originally, we took the church chants that are typical of our region and are often heard in the parishes of our Russian Orthodox Church but we adapted them to suit the liturgical English texts. We learned these chants at a leisurely pace, appropriated them by singing, and then recorded them. Our choir consisted of Slavic people who know English – a language that is very different from the original languages of these chants – well enough to sing in it. I assume that, as a result of this concerted endeavour, we managed to create an interesting church music sound mix, consisting of Slavonic church chants inseparably combined with worship texts from English church tradition.

I would like to highlight the fact that all these chants have a common nature and belong to one and the same cycle of the main Orthodox service – the Liturgy. This is very important because one could sing the Psalms, or specific concert pieces, or praise songs, but here we have liturgical chants taken from the regular rite of the Liturgy. The order in which they are recorded on the disc is the same order in which they are performed during the Liturgy.

Interview by Vadim Yanchuk